In business, things tend to slow down during the warmer months. With many people on vacation and spending less time in the office, they can be harder to reach. But, do not fear! There are various ways to enhance productivity and to embrace this slowdown, all while preparing for a busy fall season. Take advantage of this extra time to focus on things that may not have fit into your schedule previously.
In marketing specifically, there are a few activities we recommend revisiting when time allows.
Get organized.
Has that messy file cabinet been cramping your workflow? What about the stack of papers you’ve been avoiding? The summer slowdown is the perfect time to get organized! Having a clean and organized workspace can increase productivity, and also help with motivation.
Here are some tips that we suggest:
- Make a list of what you want to accomplish: your desk, a specific cabinet; pick one small area at a time rather than trying to tackle big spaces.
- Have a calendar system: having one space where you can organize all that needs to get done can ease some stress and help put things in order.
Getting organized in your marketing can involve revisiting your marketing calendar. What did you do well in Q1 + Q2? What can you improve in Q4?
Get the office together for some team development.
Whether it be a lunch outing or fun Friday (something we personally love here at VSG), getting together as a team can improve the overall health of the office environment. Reserving time to spend together as a team outside of meetings or business projects can boost morale and improve team motivation. And the summer is a perfect time for this! Go ahead, let off some steam!
Need some ideas?
- Ice cream run during lunch. Ice Cream Social is a Tacoma favorite with a plethora of flavors.
- Escape rooms are a challenging team building activity, but also a good time! Here is a local one.
- Rainiers/Reign games always make for a fun event.
- Have a Summer cook off.
Take action on some creative ideas you have put on the back burner.
Have a project that you haven’t had time for or an idea that has the potential to develop into something more? Now is the time to work on that, allow your creative side to flow!
We find that summertime is great for reevaluating your brand. Does it need a refresh? Have you evolved over time and need a more encompassing look or tagline? Think about marketing channels you want to explore. Have you wanted to get more active on your social media? Check out our blog on refreshing your brand here.
Focus on the granular – Track your sales and customer interaction, and collect the data for future use.
Data tracking and collection can be beneficial to any business. The more you know, the more powerful you can be. Tracking data can help figure out where you may have some holes and where you’re doing very well. Take this slower time and identify trends in your data. For example, what service lines are bringing in the most revenue? Where are your margins best? What sales activities are you doing? Are you even tracking any of this?
Finally, Reflect on your wins.
As you have time to relax a bit, don’t forget to reflect on things you’ve crushed so far this year!
Need help with any of this? Let us know
